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Maundy Thursday—April 9, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Exodus 12:1–14 | Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19 | 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 | John 13:1–17, 31b–35
Summary: It’s difficult not to have you here for the intimate and a little scary liturgy of the footwashing. It must have been frightening for the disciples when their master put aside his garments and took the lowest place to wash their feet. Tonight’s Gospel makes God’s love crystal clear as God takes the lowest role and goes on to death on the cross. As the numbers of people dying rises, do not lose hope, but remember that love looks like this.
Palm Sunday—April 5, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Matthew 21:1-11 | Isaiah 50:4–9a | Psalm 31:9–16 | Philippians 2:5–11 | Matthew 26:14—27:66
Summary: Today’s first Gospel tells the story of Jesus entering into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and is the precursor to the Passion Gospel we will hear later this morning. The question they ask—who is this?—is the same question we ask over and over. Jesus is not the one they expected. Jesus is the one who will give of himself, who stands with us, who proclaims love, who abides with us in need, and who changes everything on the cross. We know the end of the story, but like Jesus, we must go through it all in Holy Week to get to Easter morning.
Fifth Sunday in Lent—March 29, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Ezekiel 37:1–14 | Psalm 130 | Romans 8:6–11 | John 11:1–45
Summary: Today’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Even though Lazarus has been in the tomb three days, Jesus has the stone rolled away, calls him out, and has him unbound. We have already been unbound in Christ, and we know we will also be unbound from this virus. Until then, we keep in touch with each other and proclaim the Good News of God’s love.
Fourth Sunday in Lent—March 22, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: 1 Samuel 16:1–13 | Psalm 23 | Ephesians 5:8–14 | John 9:1–41
Summary: In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals the man born blind, but there is no rejoicing because everyone focuses on the fact that the healing took place on the Sabbath rather than the fact that light had been brought to a man living in darkness. In these days of darkness, we need light, and we are called to be light for each other and for the world.
Third Sunday in Lent—March 15, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Exodus 17:1–7 | Psalm 95 | Romans 5:1–11 | John 4:5–42
Summary: In today’s Gospel, Jesus is thirsty and surprises the Samaritan woman by asking her for a drink, and this reveals her thirst for living water that will feed her soul forever. In this encounter, Jesus—as he often does—breaks through boundaries; and when boundaries are broken, the world changes. When we know that God is with us, we too can break through boundaries so that God’s work can be done in this thirsty world.
Second Sunday in Lent—March 8, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 12:1–4a | Psalm 121 | Romans 4:1–5, 13–17 | John 3:1–17
Summary: Today’s Gospel contains the famous verse John 3:16 that we always hear about, but fortunately it also includes verse 17. Many of us act as if God is out to get us, but verse 17 tells us that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but for the world to be saved through Jesus. Lets always think of John 3:16 and 17.
We expect this sermon to be available soon.
First Sunday in Lent—March 1, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 2:15–17; 3:1–7 | Psalm 32 | Romans 5:12–19 | Matthew 4:1–11
Summary: I think today’s Gospel should be paired with the entire Exodus story because the temptations Jesus faces are parallel to the temptations the children of Israel faces on their journey to the Promised Land. Jesus faces each temptation by relying on the word of God. We face different temptations in our lives, but we can remember that God has chosen to be with us. As we begin our Lenten journey, not matter how we are tempted or how we fail, God remains with us.
Ash Wednesday—February 26, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Joel 2:1–2, 12-17 | Psalm 51:1–17 | 2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10 | Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21
Summary: Some of us hate Lenten, and others of us love it. I love Lent, and especially this night, because it remind me whose I am and whose each of you are. When we listen to the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel, some of us hear the voices of our mothers chastising us; but in reality, Jesus is reminding us that God already loves us, so no amount of fasting, or prayer, or giving will do us any good. Fasting, prayer, and giving are fruits of what God has already given us—the spirit shining forth in our lives.
We expect this sermon to be available soon.